Ben White explains fiscal cliff

Fiscal cliff: A primer

While two-thirds of Democrats disagree with Boehner’s approach, his support is weak among both independents and GOP voters. A bare plurality of Republicans approve of the Speaker’s approach, 39 percent to 37 percent. Fifty-three percent of independents disapprove, and only 24 percent approve.

President Barack Obama gets slightly better grades from independents: 51 percent disapprove of his approach, and 42 percent approve. But he has nearly unanimous support among Democrats, with a whopping 79 percent approving. Overall, 47 percent of voters approve of Obama’s handling of the negotiations and 46 percent disapprove.

Obama also has a strong claim to the ideological center in the poll. Fifty-three percent of moderates approve of his approach, while only 22 percent said the same of Boehner’s work.

The poll of 1,018 adults was conducted from Dec. 5 to Dec. 9. It has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Readers' Comments (19)

I wonder why the headline isn't "Boehner AND Obama bungling cliff talks", since both are very close in their disapproval ratings in these negotiations... Actually, I don't wonder why...we all know why.

Why would anyone care about a poll when we already know that democrats side with the president and anything Republicans do is rejected. Never has there been so much hatred toward strangers. You see that in the random shootings like those that occurred in the shopping mall yesterday. Political partisans are hateful people. Democrats won the election for president, but that is not enough. Their hate continues. Since when did Obama get the blame for anything. Even after almost four years, democrats blame Bush for Obama's failings. This president who was expected to bring this country closer together has divided it like never before. Liberals like to call the Republicans 'the party of no". This president should be called the "tax the rich" president as that has been all we have heard from Obama since he was elected. His base is the have nots who envy everyone else even though they have their expensive Nikeies and their cell phones and video games. These so-called poor know nothing about getting a recycled toy or a pancake dinner with corn syrup and margarine for Christmas. It is because of the generosity of those they hate that "poor" in America has lost its meaning.

Obama's approach is much better than that. It's been in other polls, and Obama has cut enough. He has extended the Bush tax cuts for the middle class, and needs to have that bill passed to avoid the fiscal cliff. The rest of this mess is all about Boehner, O Connell, and Cantor and their stubborn mentality. Taxes have to be on the table. We need the revenue to do our work. Obama would love to end the Bush tax cuts. Judging by what was spent by the rich, and all that money wasted on Romney proves that they are holding back their money selfishly. Thank God Obama won. He is the best man for the job. We are now worrying if he will raise the age of Medicare. I don't think so. The Dems will NEVER accept that. There is so much difference in the premiums of Private insurance and Medicare. I think I'll send my Private insurance bills to Boehner, Cantor and O'Connell. That's what they need, a bomb of copies of unpaid bills sent to the House majority. And I do mean a DELUGE!!! They need their salaries cut...they don't deserve to even be in the House. They are only there because of redistricting. We want them OUT !!!!!!!

BOTH Thelma AND Louise bear the blame for this little parlor game. These two fools (Obama and Boehner) are running the asylum in DC. And they have become the laughingstock of the world as they pirouette, dip, and dodge away from their own words day after day. I say give Obama EVERYTHING he wants. Force him to own the entire package - and then wait till 2014. The President wants to increase spending, lower taxes on the middle class, and gouge the rich. No problem. By 2014, inflation will be about 6%, unemployment about 11%, and the national debt at $20,000,000,000,000.

And it will ALL be on the Dems. If President Obama wants this as his legacy, I say let him have it - ALL of it.

You nailed it Dakota. They BOTH look like idiots, except that would not a good POLITICO headline. Just wait till the Obamacare tax kicks in - after The One promised no tax increase on the middle class.

Somehow the GOP still can't grasp that they lost the election. They are so used to being obstructionists over the last four years, filing more fillibusters than all of those in the '50s, '60s and '70s combined, with blocked appointments, 60-vote super-majorities and 375 blocked bills passed by Democrats in the House.

Only those on unemployment will feel the impact of going of the fiscal cliff. Lower income people without all the tax credits and subsidies won't feel them for a long while.

The poll does not get to the heart of the matter. Specifically, if the poll's voters knew that the Republican's approach would raise more tax dollars from the wealthy, would they still disapprove of Boehner's approach.

In order for America to survive and thrive, we a far more intelligent and honest press, public and Congress. As long as facts are either obscured, ignored or outright lied about, I question how we can talk about American as being "exceptional".

I personally abhor Congressional filibusters. However, without reverting to the super-majority of earlier years, it is the only way to preserve some semblence of minority rights.

As for the Republican election loss, Democrats would be wise to rembment that Obama received 4 million FEWER votes in 2012 than he did in 2008. Why? Because more Americans are getting sick and tired of the way that Washington operates and are neither Left-Wing nor Right-Wing extremists.

Why is a bill not put on to the floor in the house to enact tax breaks for those earning under $250k? Isn't it Congress' job to sponsor legislation and vote on it? Since when is it the President's job?

Boehner is preventing a vote being taken on extending the tax breaks for those making under $250k because he is afraid if it doesn't pass it is political suicide for the GOP. Period.

The Republican controlled house enacted the "Fiscal Cliff" bill back in August of 2011 to hold hostage for raising the debt ceiling which did nothing but lower our countries credit rating by their actions. Now they don't want to take ownership on fixing their own legislation but want to project blame that we won't avert it onto the President. Where does the word "leader" come into play when you speak of John Boehner?

Since when did Obama get the blame for anything. Even after almost four years, democrats blame Bush for Obama's failings

The Gops did try to stick him with the blame for the bad economy, the high unemployment rate, the deficit and the debt and the Media and all the special interests groups carried their water to do it. Yeah you Gops couldn’t make Dubya disappear fast enough. But I ask you. When did Obama get the credit for anything? Oh no he certainly does not deserve any credit for pulling our economy out of free-fall, or saving the Auto Industry, or getting Bin Laden or doing what is necessary to get ordinary Americans health care or preserve Social Security or Medicare. In fact he doesn’t even deserve credit for being born here does he? Yeah, your post makes it sound like you know a little about what it’s like to be poor. In fact I bet you still are. If not then maybe a near poor member of the 47%, in which you would have to hate yourself. But relax that is not necessary you see it has been speculated the Mittwit didn’t pay any Fed Taxes in ’09 so you in pretty good company.

I wonder why people like shakeitup think their comments matter. Those who watch SNL have juvenile minds. As to Bohner, I am sure he has more friends that siu and a man's worth is not judged by the number of "friends" he has. A politician makes many enemies if he does his job right. I will continue to "like" Bohner as long as he does not cave to the incompetent in chief.

To hear Boehner come out of 'negotiations' and then criticize the President and trying to make it sound like this battle of extending temporary tax cuts for those who really don't need them so Middle Income and lower income people take up the slack for them, is all Obama's fault is sickening and infuriating. He's speaking obscenities when trying to make out that these slow negotiations are the President's fault.

Further, although the GOPers want cuts, they won't specify any but are not budging until Obama comes up with the cuts that THEY Want. IF they want cuts THEY SHOULD BE THE ONE'S TO SPECIFY THEM.

The Corporate Lobbyists are counting on President Obama to 'cave in' on this negotiations and offer cuts up for Republicans to approve or disapprove as THEY see fit!

I wonder why the headline isn't "Boehner AND Obama bungling cliff talks", since both are very close in their disapproval ratings in these negotiations... Actually, I don't wonder why...we all know why.

Um.. the reason the headline is not different is because you are rationalizing.

You are suggesting the two are close on disaproval, while ignoring more people approve of Obama's handling than disaprove. You also ignore Obama's approval among moderates being at 53%.

You nailed it Dakota. They BOTH look like idiots, except that would not a good POLITICO headline. Just wait till the Obamacare tax kicks in - after The One promised no tax increase on the middle class.

feudi: Dec. 12, 2012 - 9:32 AM EST

I say give Obama EVERYTHING he wants. Force him to own the entire package - and then wait till 2014. The President wants to increase spending, lower taxes on the middle class, and gouge the rich. No problem. By 2014, inflation will be about 6%, unemployment about 11%, and the national debt at $20,000,000,000,000.

Right wing gonna happens...lol.

Funny thing about those gonna happens....they rarely actualy happen.

Mostly because they are the result of mindless zombies being fed their opinion...an opinion devoid of reality.